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Miramax and LEGO Bond on Two More BIONICLE Projects

Banking on some slightly different kind of toy stories, Miramax Films and LEGO Co. are in production on a second CGI-animation direct-to-video based upon the toy companys BIONICLE brand and are developing a theatrical motion picture scheduled for release in 2005. These are early commitments considering their first collaboration, BIONICLE: MASK OF LIGHT, wont debut on DVD and video until September 16, 2003.

Miramax began as our distribution partner on MASK OF LIGHT in July of 2002, said Kalcher. But, when we started to develop the theatrical film, the creative sparks began to fly, and we knew we had found our kindred spirits on this property. They really get it. Harvey Weinstein and his talented team, especially Kevin Kasha and Jeff Tahler, are really just big BIONICLE boys at heart, and they are eager to increase their involvement on the second movie.

BIONICLEs rich storylines and complex characters really capture its audiences attention, said Weinstein. As millions of fans around the world will attest, once youre immersed in BIONICLE, theres no turning back.

Sharing production duties on the new home video movie with the LEGO Co., Miramax and Create TV and Film is the original MASK OF LIGHT production team at independent animation studio, Creative Capers Entertainment, headquartered in Los Angeles and run by producer Sue Shakespeare and directors David Molina and Terry Shakespeare. Jeff Tahler, vp of acquisitions, will continue to oversee the production on behalf of Miramax.

The BIONICLE characters and story were launched in December 2000, first on an interactive Website and in comic books and shortly thereafter in dozens of different yet interconnecting media platforms. Clues, characters and adventures revealed in one platform enhanced the experience on another. By August of 2001, the toy line was outselling every other action figure on the market. In 2002, the product line was recognized with two Toy of the Year awards, including Most Innovative Toy of the Year and Best Boy Toy of the Year by the American Toy Industry Association.

To complement the MASK OF LIGHT movie, this years franchise highlights include a number of platforms and product lines related to the film: A new line of BIONICLE action figures, many of which are based on the movie characters; A new video game from LEGO Virtual and Electronic Arts, which parallels the movies plotline; The first of six titles from Scholastic Books, including a novelization of the movie; A brand new style of the hot Nike BIONICLE shoes released earlier this year, featuring interchangeable masks.

For more information, visit LEGO.com or BIONICLE.com or BIONICLEmovie.com.

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